Interviews

About

Category: Album Reviews

American black metal act Empyrean Throne will soon self-release the debut full length “Chaosborne”, meticulously crafted with epic symphonic accents and highly influenced by successful bands such as Dimmu Borgir and Cradle Of Filth.
“The Twilight Order” shines for the elegant classical orchestrations with evident gothic accents while the rest of the song effortlessly blends cold traditional black metal fury and solemn symphonic themes.
“Sed Nomini Tuo Da Gloriam” features arcane atmospheres that, bringing to mind ancient rituals in the middle of the woods, offer a solid background orchestration to support the variegated vocal styles and the enraging ensemble of guitar riffs further embellished by a rather melodic baroque guitar solo.
On “Stormrite Ascension” sinister screams create a mysterious aura, ominously triumphant choirs and symphonic orchestrations add dramatic theatrical depth while smooth guitar riffs create an enjoyable groove.
The title track showcases more dramatic and cinematic atmospheres all around with tormented vocals and a brutal chaotic rhythmic backbone while polished guitar leads and theatrical choirs convey gracefully luminous melodies.
“Haereticus Stellarum pt I” stands out for the untainted melancholy portrayed by minimal arpeggios, tragically poetic orchestrations and somber guitar riffs while fierce growls and screams evoke a realm of endless darkness.
“Haereticus Stellarum pt II” unleashes a majestic mixture of savagely raw black metal guitar riffs with the addition of sober symphonic orchestration and solemn chants in the midst of a gloomy gothic atmosphere
“Chaosborne” does feel like a debut album with some rough edges and occasional repetitive songwriting themes but it is certainly a well executed cohesive effort filled with that deliciously decadent darkness we all long for.

Australian deathcore metallers Aversions Crown are ready to release their sophomore album entitled “Xenocide” which, even if lately deathcore is not exactly the most popular or appreciated metal subgenre, attempts to offer a cohesive work of music.

“Prismatic Abyss” relies on a particularly heavy ensemble of blasting drums and shattering guitar riffs but despite the dominant brutal groove there is space for loads of exotic guitar melodies.

“Erebus” showcases again a contrast between a heavy rhythmic backbone supported by furiously guttural vocals and an inspired melancholic atmosphere embodied by smooth polished guitar melodies.

“Ophiophagy” has an eerie atmospheric approach followed by stylish groovy riffs while lead guitars and brief gloomy arpeggios add luminous melodies that tend to feel more genuine and interesting.

On “Odium” the band continues to unleash the must have dose of furious guitar riffing but once again the decadent melodies exhibit additional musical depth with a less forced approach.

Aversions Crown have yet to achieve a personal original music style but “Xenocide” manages to deliver an exuberant dose of heavy guitar driven songs and also showcases a somber melodic side that renders everything more intriguing.

Florida power metal act Seven Kingdoms is releasing the successfully crowdfunded new full length “Decennium” which clearly showcases the band’s power metal musical pathway highly influenced by many popular and successful European bands.

With “Stargazer” Seven Kingdoms aims for an epic sound embedded in loads of classic power metal riffs. Melodic female vocals and fancy smooth guitar solos channel many famous power metal bands and render this track widely accessible.

“In The Walls” kicks off with a faster guitar driven rhythm that tries to build a catchy groove but there are no additional surprising elements in the typical power metal themes and structure.

“The Tale Of Deathface Ginny” follows the same predictable music themes but delivers some interesting darkened guitar work that immediately gains the deserved spotlight.

“The Faceless Hero” maintains all the power metal triumphant elements but adds a slight melancholic atmosphere. Throughout the song Seven Kingdoms plays it safe keeping a similar catchy melodic rhythm with no palpable divergence.

“Awakened From Nothing” begins with somber guitar tones and slightly different instrumental dynamics but soon re-acquires the classic power metal “happier” rhythm particularly evident in the chorus.

Overall, “Decennium” is definitely a cohesive effort that would attract fans of the female fronted bands trend but unfortunately it tends to showcase common music patterns and weak creative force.

Iconic Swedish progressive metal band Pain Of Salvation returns with the long awaited new full length “In The Passing Light Of Day” which, as you will notice at the very first listening, owns a mesmerizing unique strength that makes any comparison to the band’s previous glorious discography rather futile. “In The Passing Light Of Day” feels like a cathartic emotional journey, as its genesis and concept are deeply connected with mastermind Daniel Gildenlöw’s recent illness, and shines for its exceptionally genuine artistic desire to cross any given musical boundaries.

“On A Tuesday” is a complex piece of music that gracefully blends a darker heavy mood and a lighter melodic driven melancholy. Lyrically this song is flooded with pure passion and sincere emotions which are all vividly represented in the heavy guitar driven rhythmic backbone and the gloomy slower melodies embellished by dreamy keyboards arrangements. Throughout the song Gildenlöw proves to be a passionate brave vocalist/musician and Ragnar Zolberg delivers a nostalgically fascinating vocal performance.

“Tongue Of God” begins with highly melancholic piano melodies that effortlessly give way to a groovy ensemble of crunchy guitar riffs and an absolutely addictive chorus. The overall decadent atmosphere evokes feelings of desperation and anger while the catchy rhythmic crescendo is creatively refreshing with modern heavy elements.

It’s easy to fall in love with “Meaningless” as its haunting melancholic moody melodies are absolutely unforgettable. Zolberg and Gildenlöw deliver enchanting kaleidoscopic vocals that properly incarnate a dark inner turmoil further enhanced by vibrant guitar riffs and a chaotic rock groove.

“The Taming Of A Beast” offers another excellent catchy rhythm with loads of frantic dark accents amplified by bold heavy guitar riffing and fervent vocals but also shines for the intense moody struggle portrayed by contrasting calmer fragile melodies and rich orchestrations.

On the lengthy title track elegantly minimalist melodies embody an inevitable dramatic emotional storm that demands the listeners’ attention while Gildenlöw literally pours his heart out with painfully passionate vocals. When guitars acquire ex novo energetic dynamics the overall atmosphere still holds a pure sense of distraught melancholy but a delicate feeling of hopefulness seems to appear in the distance with luminous atmospheric keyboards.

With experimental talented musicianship and darkly poetic impetus “In The Passing Light Of Day” will be remembered as a magnificent comeback that, once again, confirms Pain Of Salvation’s seminal status as one of the most enthralling and unpredictable bands in the metal scene.

After celebrating the 30th anniversary, legendary Brazilian act Sepultura returns with the 14th studio album entitled “Machine Messiah” where the band simply chooses to carry on an extraordinary artistic journey and create music with sincere passion and no compromises.

The title track opens with decadent graceful guitar melodies and Derrick Green delivers spellbinding emotionally charged vocals. In the midst of a darkened and tragic, almost doomish, atmosphere Andreas Kisser’s charismatic guitar solos will become unforgettable.

“Phantom Self” has a solid enjoyable thrash groove with a rather catchy chorus but it will immediately stand out for its mystical/esoteric atmospheres effortlessly embodied by flamboyant classical orchestrations that delightfully surround Kisser’s prog influenced brilliant solos.

“Iceberg Dances” is an exciting instrumental that gives you a chance to truly appreciate Sepultura’s mature and talented musicianship. A fast gritty guitar driven rhythm with tribal drumming accents keeps a healthy groove while Kisser’s dynamic guitar work confidently channels an exquisite variety of music styles such as prog and flamenco.

As Sepultura’s music style continues to evolve, “Machine Messiah” still holds dear some elements of the band’s signature thrash essence but it also showcases an eclectic sonic variety that can be fully appreciated even if you are not a devoted fan.

After 36 years in the metal scene German act Grave Digger fearlessly returns with the latest release triumphantly entitled “Healed By Metal” which is really about that infamous headbanging energy and a glorious metal era that we just can’t forget.

The title track is nothing more than a hymn to the golden age of classic metal. As expected, there are loads of crunchy guitar riffs to keep a solid rhythm going, a lovable melodic guitar solo and a pompous chorus that might just feel a bit redundant.

“When Night Falls” kicks off with the right catchy groove built by a fast paced guitar riffing and the rest of the song manages to keep the headbanging and metal brotherhood themes alive.

“Lawbreaker” features the popular 80s motorcycle & leather combo and, again, there is a generous dose of classic metal riffs leading to a rocking guitar solo executed in proper shredding style.

On “The Ten Commandments Of Metal” Chris Boltendahl screams “stay true” and this summarizes the inner spirit of this fun song, another metal anthem that revolves around traditional super groovy guitar riffs.

“Kill Ritual” has a more somber approach with a heavy combo of bass and drums, crunchy metallic guitar riffs and your must have fancy guitar solo with full blown shreds and killer licks.

Without any stylish surprises or wild musical experiments “Healed By Metal” feels stuck in a nostalgic loop as it stays true to Grave Digger’s classic metal recipe that might please almost exclusively their devoted long standing fans.

“Bronze” must be fully enjoyed and slowly savored at each listening, rather than over analyzed, because it is an absolutely compelling piece of music that shines for its dark eclectic nature and talented musicianship.

After almost 20 years hiatus industrial pioneer Circle Of Dust returns with an exciting science fiction themed full length album entitled “Machines Of Our Disgrace” and if you are familiar with artist/producer Klayton and his successful Celldweller project this new album will certainly grab your attention.

The title track is highly influenced by 90s style industrial metal with integrated sampled sound clips, programmed drums and a corrosive array of classic metal guitar riffs that create a seemingly chaotic groove.

Finnish speed metal band Ranger delivers a new full length entitled “Speed & Violence” that showcases no frills and no special effects traditional 80s music themes as you can tell immediately from the album artwork.

The title track is all about leather and speed, and certainly violence, and it definitely represents the entire album’s mood. So you have the fast upbeat drumming, some classic guitar riffs followed by a fancy guitar solo and loads of high pitch vocals.

“Without Warning” has the same attitude and a similar rhythm as Ranger is not really trying to impress anybody but instead is just staying true to the chosen music pathway. Overall, this is a catchy track with tight guitar riffs and every instrument is characterized by a true classic metal sound.

“Satanic Panic” sounds fun with all kinds of catchy guitar riffs and drum beats in proper old school fashion. Besides the expected headbangers’ style relentless groove there are also nice guitar solos that spice up the classic music recipe.

“Night Slasher” has a good heavy rhythm but we all heard it before so it makes sense only if you’re feeling nostalgic. As the guitar riffs proceed relentlessly to keep the groove going all those high pitch screams become overwhelming but a well executed guitar solo provides a breathable break.

In the end “Speed & Violence” does not offer innovative or astonishingly creative music elements as it rather feels just like paying homage to old school famous bands, therefore it would be appreciated only by a specific speed metal fanbase.

Posts navigation

A benefit concert in memory of late SOUNDGARDEN and AUDIOSLAVE frontman Chris Cornell, billed as "I Am The Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell", will take place at the Forum in Los Angeles on January 16, 2019. Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, the show will feature performances from FOO FIGHTERS and METALLICA, as well as appearances […]

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was interviewed for the latest episode of the "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" podcast. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On what new MEGADETH drummer Dirk Verbeuren brings to the band: Mustaine: "The thing that Dirk brings to the band is […]

During a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar, former OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Jake E. Lee spoke about his replacement, Zakk Wylde, who has been playing with the BLACK SABBATH singer, on and off, for more than 30 years. "I think Zakk's an incredible guitar player," Jake said. "I like his playing. I have little bit of […]

Andy Hall of the Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3 recently conducted an interview with ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss about her debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos". You can listen to the entire chat via the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On whether releasing "Controlled Chaos" is a "dream come true" […]

Etic's Live conducted an interview with vocalist Anders Fridén and guitarist Björn Gelotte of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES prior to the band's November 9 concert at Auditorio Citibanamex in Monterrey, Mexico in support of DEEP PURPLE. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). On the band's current plans: […]